🚛 🚗 The Interstate's Forgotten Code 🚗 🚛

He ended up getting COVID, but he is doing ok.

Chris Lettig

Anyone got any news? I hope that he is okay.

Chris

Did he make a director's commentary?

Michael Valvano

Sorry, he's gotta sell merch on Cortex.

Sean Munson

CGP WHERE IS OUR COMMENTARY????

Chris Flad

I have a small passion for orderly numbering systems. So I've long known the US interstate numbering system. So maybe that's why I felt a little underwhelmed by this video the first time. The video was more-or-less saying what the numbers are and how they are laid out. But none of the typical backstory or context usually in these kinds of videos, especially for the oddball numbers that are peppered throughout the network. That's what I was looking for. I rewatched it later and liked it a lot more, always finding the topic entertaining, but I would have loved a bigger detour into the more egregious numbering exceptions. Like the fact I-69 has no numerical business being in TX and only chosen so as to claim a single pan-American uninterrupted highway from border-to-border. Love the topic, high quality video, yearning for more.

Matthew S Sechrist

TBH, not my favorite of the CGP videos, but maybe because it's something I already knew. However, I'm sure the non-Americans were delighted with it. Oh, and I love the use of Bailey Blue throughout the video.

April Pulvirenti

I grew up in PA right where I-99 goes through. It’s nicknamed the highway to nowhere. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Also, pretty sure the Shuster’s (politicians in central PA) had something to do with pushing the numbering of it through congress.

Kathryn Loyd

This was fantastic, thank you!

are we not getting the directors commentary

KayleeGirlMTF

I hate to be that guy, but to follow on to this, will there be wallpaper? I figured there would cool ones from this vid. I have been using the ones from Bestagons, Spaceship You, and Algorithm Bots for a while. I like them, but I'm always on the hunt for the next thing.

Paul L Bliss

Great video! When is the directors commentary coming out?

Joe South

So good! I love a good highway nerding-out. In Maryland, I-595 is unsigned essentially for the same reason there’s no I-50 or I-60 … US-50 between DC and US-301 near Bowie is one of those “everyone know it as” stretches. You also could do a whole ‘nother video just about DC’s ongoing nuttiness with I-395 and I-695 (about to be re-signed YET AGAIN), plus the difference between I-295 and DC-295 that even emergency dispatchers continue to get wrong. (Basically one long highway with a stretch that IS interstate-grade and one that isnt.) Oh! And then there’s the green-signed business interstates. (/caffeine)

Joey

As a fellow Bay Area person, I have to assume this was among the material Grey had to cut for time.

Derek Hiemforth

Having grown up in San Francisco Bay Area this amused me and I'm SO VERY ANNOYED that you left out the 80E/580W being the SAME DAMN ROAD nonesense.

Dawn Earp

I'm a total map geek who has known all of this since I was a teenager, but I still found this video to be delightful!

Craig Brickey

Oh, I know that well! We've always joked about the huge stretch of I94E... It swears you're going East but you know for sure you're pointed North! Plus the I275 "bypass" that takes you back to I696 instead.

Sarah Smith

Except some interstates that make turns, changing direction, and still keep their numbers. We have at least two in Michigan.

Jeremy Krall

I can!

Vandy Beth Glenn

With regards to Interstate 495, it *would* have connected with I-95 if Robert Moses was allowed to build the Mid Manhattan Expressway. As it is, the road in NJ that connects the Lincoln Tunnel to I-95 is New Jersey Route 495, and the Lincoln Tunnel approaches in Manhattan are New York Route 495. I suspect at least some of the other oddities are due to highways never being built.

rtpoe

I would love to see the outtakes... all the exceptions!

Andrew Wonnacott

Only 0.7 miles of NY 878 is designated as an Interstate, the rest is just a NY state road

Andrew Wonnacott

Have to say, half of my enjoyment of these videos is the way you present the info. Never change grey, never change. 👍

Orion Dye

It annoys me that GPS voice directions say "Head north on Interstate 35 west...." No! That's not the name of the road.

Dave DuJour

I commented this on the video, but due to my need for recognition, I'm posting it here as well: "Hialeah" is pronounced "Hi-uh-lee-uh"

Andres Rodriguez

Also, from wikipedia: "During the early years of the Interstate Highway System, branching Interstates with directional suffixes, such as N, S, E, and W, were common nationwide. On every other Interstate nationwide, these directional suffixes have been phased out by redesignating the suffixed route numbers with a loop or spur route number designation (such as I-270 in Maryland, which was once I-70S) or, in some cases, were assigned a different route number (such as I-76, which was once I-80S). In the case of I-35 in the Twin Cities area, since neither branch is clearly the main route and both branches return to a unified Interstate beyond the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, officials at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) have allowed the suffixes of E and W in Minnesota to remain in the present day."

Nicholas Welna

From wikipedia: "During the early years of the Interstate Highway System, branching Interstates with directional suffixes, such as N, S, E, and W, were common nationwide. On every other Interstate nationwide, these directional suffixes have been phased out by redesignating the suffixed route numbers with a loop or spur route number designation (such as I-270 in Maryland, which was once I-70S) or, in some cases, were assigned a different route number (such as I-76, which was once I-80S). In the case of I-35 in the Twin Cities area, since neither branch is clearly the main route and both branches return to a unified Interstate beyond the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, officials at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) have allowed the suffixes of E and W in Minnesota to remain in the present day."

Nicholas Welna

OK but for that matter the north I-87 isn't between I-85 and I-95.

Artem Kreimer

I thought I was told it used to be faster, but then residents nearby the interstate complained of noise so the limit was lowered, but maybe that was not true?

Nicholas Welna

Interestingly, the UK numbering system is similar, with majors odd N-S and even E-W, and then using a suffix digit for secondaries. Also, the A roads (like your State highways) are numbers correspondingly, except when they arent.

Steve Shipway

This was fun. Also, it calls for a follow up - "International E-road Network" which, being much older than EU and proposed by "joint UN declaration no. 1264" has kind of excuse for not being much (if any) more consistent in its numbering than the US Interstate system. (BTW, few people know that European traffic rules and signage have their origins in a rather obscure body United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, not any EU organ. Another topic?)

Dragi Raos

That could very well be, I thought I'd heard the first number being even or odd but now that I think that's obviously wrong... somedays the brain just can't get into gear

Sarah Smith

You were taught right. You may have watched the video wrong? It clearly says evens run east-west and odds run north-south. I-90: east-west; I-95: north-south. The last digit is different.

Just an Aardvark

Glitch at timestamp: the max value of a one byte, unsigned integer Bonnie Bee at timestamp: sqrt(372100) Censored timestamps incase people find them spoilers

Mitchell Grenier

I remember hearing something about the airport needing (by statute, possibly? or maybe they just fought over it at the time) to be equidistant from the two cities. So yes, easy to believe.

Just an Aardvark

Being odd, I-87 should be between I-85 and I-95. I-80 and I-90 run perpendicular(ish).

Just an Aardvark

I375 in Detroit seems to be shorter than i878 in New York. It's this an error or do they measure highway lengths in an odd way?

Samuel Haberl

A glitch! "San Fransisco"

Harry Johnson

Can you explain what you mean by 99 being out of order? A few seconds later, you have I-87 also not between I-80 and I-90.

Artem Kreimer

Interesting. Thanks

veritanuda

I can't wait for the 3 hour director's cut!

Jeremy Schaub

I don’t know about Dallas/Fort Worth, but being from the Twin Cities I can absolutely believe the theory that one didn’t want to be the bypass. My guess is Saint Paul was the one that complained.

spiderbruce026

Undecided if I should put a like or (on YouTube) a dislike on this video because of the map you used. It completely cuts off northern Delaware (which I-95 travels through), and looks like it makes it mostly New Jersey. I mean, it's bad enough to be removed from the map, but to make it part of New Jersey??!!

Michael Romagnoli

I am SO READY for the commentary track.

Alexander JB

"Follow the GPS" is great, but you can't turn off your brain. I've always treated GPS as the backup system to maps; maybe that comes from backcountry navigation. It seems like every year someone is stranded or killed in the mountains of the western US because they are just following the Almighty Purple Line on GPS and end up stuck on the side of a mountain in 8 feet of snow on an off road track that won't be open for six months.

David Rathofer

As a LIer, I-495.... yeah that's correct.

Aryeh Baruch

I knew the 0 and 5 numbering, but didn’t realize the 3 digit ones also had their own clue. Living right off I-70, I saw 170 and 270, with 170 splitting from I-270, passing I-70, and ending in I-64, and I-270 splitting from I-70/55 but circling all around to end at I-55.

Dennis Negron-Rivera

I love this video. So many things that I remember learning as a kid before the Interstate System was completed. That is also exactly why 35W and 35E exist, even though 35E has a 45mph speed limit through part of St Paul, MN. That's below the Federal mandatory minimum limit. So how can't that be the minor branch of I-35?

Dave DuJour

I was taught wrong! I was told it's the *last* digit of the I-number that tells you N/S or E/W.

Sarah Smith

I loved the music on this one so much and although I already knew some of the key things, this was very well presented and enjoyable. I can't wait for the directors commentary

Lee B

I loved the sound effects and animation! Of course the content is great as always

Josh O'Shields

I'm old. I knew some of this. But the great thing about CGP vids is you always tell me things I didn't know.

Daniel A. Ray

Me too

Brian Reczek

My dad always used to teach me this when i was learning to drive. He was so proud to know it

The Heirs Of History

Hope you're doing well!

reluctantsandman